Basically it boils down to common sense. The first thing you want to do is find and contact the nearest US embassy or consulate. If you can get to the nearest fancy hotel you can find as they will be most equipped to help you in regards to knowledge and phones. Internet cafes work too.

File a police report if it was stolen. This can be a good move in getting it back quickly as local police might know just who to look for. Most countries don’t want their tourists getting ripped off.

You’ll also need a new passport photo and that can be a real hassle depending on where you find yourself in the world. Joyce and I carry spare passport photos with us when we travel and also keep digital back-up copies in the cloud (either DropBox or EverNote).

It is also smart to carry a copy of your passport and drivers license to quickly prove you are who you say you are after you’ve lost your passport. We keep paper copies stashed in our wallets and luggage as well as digital copies in the cloud.

Most of all be prepared to pay for the replacement in both time and money. Remember this is the government we are talking about so take a deep breathe and prepare for a major bureaucratic hassle.